Damayan Workers Academy, Workshop 2, Tackles Know Your Rights Training

Around 20 Damayan members attended Workshop 2 of the Damayan Migrant Workers Academy last weekend. The academy is a four-part workshop series that aims to raise the consciousness of Damayan worker members, educate them about their rights, foster camaraderie among them, and draw courage from each other. The workshop participants are Filipino domestic workers (nannies, babysitters, caregivers, housekeepers, etc) and other low-wage workers (laundromat workers and restaurant workers).

In Workshop 2, the workers received a Know Your Rights training about labor rights in NYC facilitated by Ben Dictor and Maria Chickedantz, attorneys with Eisner & Associate.

The workers also discussed the updated Damayan Worker Case Agreement where talked about the roles and responsibilities of the workers and Damayan in running their cases. Majority of the participants have wage theft, fraud and trafficking cases.

Damayan handles cases and refers the workers to pro bono lawyers while educating, organizing and mobilizing them. Damayan will handle 34 new cases in addition to its existing cases; most of the workers learned about Damayan through word of mouth.

To date, Damayan has won $700,000 in stolen wages, and have reunited nine trafficking survivors with their families (23 children and three husbands).